Book Review: Survivor by Chuck Palahniuk

Palahniuk managed to amaze me with this novel. I’ve read it in a single night, as most of his other books, but this one was shockingly good, more than his usual standard. He increases the intensity of the novel with such finesse that when you reach the end, it feels as if you’ve gotten out of a roller coaster ride(no way of avoiding a terrible cliche here.)

Survivalis a faithful depiction of the way mass-media and our own fear of contact with those around us have created a world in which everyone can become a god, an icon, an idol and be worshiped without even being worthy of such treatment. Palahniuk gave me the feeling that today’s show business resembles some sort of arena, and every star has to behave as a gladiator. Maybe the saddest part of this satire is that you are who people want you to be. And if you’re not, you have to change in order to become the person they think you are. There’s nothing more sinister than realizing that there’s no freedom anymore, and that we all have to wear masks and pretend that we are different from what we want to be.

Palahniuk is good at making stories that jump off the page, he’s so good at writing transgressive fiction that his works appeal to a lot of people. And this talent is remarkable.